DinkyBird wrote:Is it true that they are also known as the "rain bird"? I recall seeing them all over Kruger just before a shower of rain. Also very shy birds.

I have always known it as the rain bird, and it definitely does call before and after rain, but I couldn't find mention of it in any of the books I have When we lived on the farm, in the hot,dry summers that was the most heavenly sound

For some reason or another I really wanted to see (and photograph) one during my june 2006 trip. Subconsiously though, not something I really thought about. I saw plenty all over the Park north of the line Orpen - N'wanetsi. This one is a fluke, just as I was pressing the button a fly (?) zoomed past him, going for it he was taking his head out of the area that is sharp, but somehow making a better picture than I would have had otherwise.

Not posting much here anymore, but the photo's you can follow here There is plenty there.

Feel free to use any of these additional letters to correct the spelling of words found in the above post: a-e-t-n-d-i-o-s-m-l-u-y-h-c

We have a Burchell's Coucal that has been resident in our garden for a long time. It has become quite tame - it absolutely loves grated cheese and at least once a day it comes asking for some.
We were away for the long weekend and when we came back on Tuesday afternoon I went to put out food for the birds and the Coucal appeared. I immediately noticed something was wrong with its beak and on closer inspection saw that the lower part was broken. I cannot describe how upset I was (and still is) on seeing this. How could this possibly have happened? And is there any way in which this bird can survive? I can hardly bear watching it trying to eat and drink at the birdbath.
What can one do in a situation such as this?